Entrance hall 2018 - design features

The entrance hall is a room that accompanies us every morning and meets us in the evening, this is the first space that everyone who comes to our home sees. A business card, the first performance, the same "hanger" with which it all begins. That is why any owner of an apartment or house wants to see his hallway comfortable, practical, functional, fashionable, made in the general style of the design of the entire dwelling. But most of the hallways in Russian apartments, especially during the Soviet era, are so modest in size that they have to cut out not meters, but centimeters of usable space. But even in small utility rooms you can create a comfortable, aesthetic and modern design.

In most Russian apartments, hallways have a small area, often an irregular shape and, of course, are not equipped with a natural light source. All these features directly dictate the choice of not only the color palette of design, stylistic direction, but also the choice of materials for decoration and furniture models for arranging the room. In private homes, hallways are usually more spacious, often have windows (at least one small), but their load in terms of exposure to pollution is even higher than that of apartment buildings. After all, all households get from the street (bringing snow, dirt and wet sand on the sole, and moisture on clothes and umbrellas) directly to the hallway, they do not need to go through several flights of stairs at the entrance.

If we talk about the design of the hallway in terms of practicality and ease of operation and maintenance, the first and urgent rule is the use of moisture-resistant materials, which are easy to care for. It is also necessary to take into account the high risk of mechanical damage, given that the hallway takes on not only moisture and dirt from our soles, but also the weight of bulky purchases, traces of studs and heels, the fall of umbrellas, rollers and even sledges. To a greater extent, these types of damage determine the choice of flooring.

From the point of view of the stylistic design of the hallway, we can only talk about one important rule - it should harmoniously merge into the overall picture of the execution of the entire dwelling, and not be opposed to it. It is the entrance hall that can create the right mood, show the character of the entire interior of the apartment or house. Even if your entire home is made in a classic style, and there simply is no place for stucco molding and luxurious furniture, you can use a neutral (minimalist) tone in the design, adding the so-called connecting elements - a beautiful mirror in a luxurious setting, a chandelier or wall sconces with a rich decor.

Experts do not recommend experimenting with mixing styles in such a modest in size and difficult from the point of view of providing comfort room, such as a hallway. Modern style is the best suited exactly for such premises. The desire to get rid of everything superfluous, to minimize decoration and to raise personal comfort at the forefront - all these trends in modern style are literally created for the halls, with their difficult functional background.

The entrance hall has not only its own special microclimate, location in a house or apartment, but also a functional orientation. All these aspects must be considered when choosing finishing materials for all surfaces. So that the hallway can with dignity transfer moisture, dirt, dust, sand, heavy bags, sharp objects, constant traffic and at the same time not lose its stylish image, you need to carefully choose the finish.

 

Let's start from the ceiling.In the hallway, no harmful effects are expected, therefore, there are no significant restrictions on the choice of finishing materials. But experts recommend choosing the simplest and most universal solutions for creating a modern design. Perfectly smooth white ceiling is the key to success in the design of the hallway. Sophisticated two-level constructions of false ceilings, embossed decor or bright tone are not suitable for small rooms. In order for the transition to other rooms from the entrance hall (and in some apartments this utility room is the entrance to absolutely all other rooms) to be smooth, organic, the entire decoration of this space should be neutral.

Finishing the walls in the hallway is necessary taking into account the features of this very loaded room. Moisture, dust, dirt and mechanical stress are the main threats to vertical surfaces. Therefore, paper and textile wallpapers can be safely excluded from the design options for walls in the hallway. But wall panels are becoming an increasingly common way of practical and aesthetic wall decoration. Such panels can be smooth and textured, plain and with a pattern, imitate wood, stone, brick or ceramics.

 

The choice of material for flooring in the hallway is not an easy task. The floor finish must meet the following requirements:

• transfer the effects of moisture, dirt, wet sand and even small stones;
• be resistant to the weight of large items, walking on heels (and especially stilettos);
• easy to clean, tolerate the effects of cleaning products and not lose their original appearance;
• be resistant to various mechanical stresses;
• have high aesthetic qualities.

Experts say that ceramic tiles have all these qualities. But in addition to the above properties, ceramics is one of the most durable materials for flooring. Of course, such a flooring is not the cheapest option (given that you will have to spend not only on tiles and glue, but also the installation process itself), but long-term operation, a beautiful appearance and ease of maintenance compensate for all costs.

In a private house, it is better to complete the entire flooring of the hallway with ceramic tiles. And in the interior of the apartment you can resort to a combination - decorate the space at the front door with ceramics, and then lay a laminate, parquet board or linoleum, combined in color. Designers also recommend using tiles as a material to create the so-called baseboard. On the wall (to protect against moisture and dirt), ceramic tile is glued in one row, most often the same as that used to create the flooring.

If we talk about the color palette of decoration in the hallway, then experts strongly recommend choosing warm, bright colors. Our camp has a certain tradition of using dark, often depressing tones when decorating hallways (many will remember the Soviet past with invariable bricks on the walls of utilitarian premises). Many people motivated such color schemes by the fact that in the hallway there is a very high risk of surface contamination and light colors are simply inappropriate here. But modern finishing materials can be cleaned with a damp sponge, use cleaning products that will not harm the surfaces. At the same time, light colors will help not only visually enlarge a small room, but also create an easy, clean and elegant image of the space, which is the first on the way to get to know your home.

It is difficult to imagine a comfortable entrance hall without storage systems for outerwear, shoes, umbrellas and other accessories. Even in a small hallway, more like a narrow corridor, you can build a shallow cabinet with hooks for clothes.For a married couple living in an apartment, a compact wardrobe or a pair of hooks and a shoe rack will be enough. For a large family, a larger number of storage systems is needed - a built-in wardrobe from floor to ceiling will help to solve the problem of storing seasonal clothes and shoes, and will also allow you to keep on hand the necessary accessories and devices - umbrellas, gloves, sports equipment, that are needed in everyday use.

If the hallway space allows, then under the hanger it will be convenient to install a small bench or built-in seat. Soft upholstery will allow you to change shoes with convenience, and the space under the banquet can be used to install shoes. With this layout, you can be sure that every inch of the hallway is used rationally.

If the hallway space does not allow storage systems to be built in, then at least a sufficient number of hangers must be taken care of. These can be ordinary hooks that are attached to the walls - in this case, care must be taken to protect the surfaces from moisture that can be brought from the street on outer clothing. In this case, wall panels will be the best option. If the hangers are attached to a laminated surface or several rails, then measures to protect the walls can be weakened and vinyl or liquid wallpaper, decorative plaster can be used.

What colors to choose for the execution of storage systems in the hallway? Designers recommend staying on light woods with a warm, natural pattern, in case you used a white tone to finish most surfaces. The warmth of natural material will raise the degree of color temperature and create a more comfortable image of the room. Indeed, the use of light colors in large quantities can create a feeling of not only lightness, but also the sterility of the space. In such an interior, accents and wooden furnishings of bright but light colors are necessary to cope with this task.

Another universal option for the execution of furniture for small rooms is white. If the walls of the hallway are decorated in pastel colors, then snow-white furniture will harmoniously flow into the creation of a light and elegant image. In addition, when embedding storage systems from floor to ceiling, a very large-scale design is obtained. White tone will help to minimize the feeling of massiveness, monumentality.

If your hallway is located in a private house or apartment with an improved layout and boasts a large area, then the choice of color for the execution of furniture is incredibly large. In the new season, complex shades of blue will be popular. Beautiful tones of blue can be used both in the decoration and furnishings of rooms. But it’s more logical for hallways to leave the wall decoration in light shades, and use the colorful color scheme for storage systems.

The gray color, so popular last season, will be one of the favorites in the new year. Various shades of this neutral color organically fit into any interior, do not attract too much attention, but also do not get lost in the overall picture of the room. Noble shades of gray in the execution of furniture are perfectly shaded by snow-white walls and the sheen of mirrors, chrome-plated surfaces of furniture, lighting fixtures.

In a room without windows (and in the apartments there are rarely other versions of hallways), special attention is paid to the lighting system. Experts recommend not only limited to one central lamp, but to create spot lighting, i.e. use multiple sources of artificial light. It can be a backlight integrated around the perimeter of the ceiling, or a combination of a central chandelier and wall sconces, you can also use the backlight around the mirror (reflecting, the light will multiply).

Is it possible to decorate in such a modest room? Of course, the functional components of the interior, such as lighting fixtures, for example, can serve as decor elements.If your hallway does not have a large area, but boasts a high ceiling, then you can use the original chandelier to decorate its appearance. Otherwise, focus on wall lights.

Not a single hallway can do without a large mirror, because we need to see in what form we leave our home in the morning and begin a new working day. A mirror in a utilitarian space is also necessary for reasons of the possibility of a visual increase in the volume of the room. And with the help of an original mirror in a beautiful or unusual frame, you can decorate even the most modest and ordinary hallway.

In a room with a small area, a bright color can be used as a decorative element. If the whole space is decorated in light, neutral colors, then just one colorful element of the interior is enough to radically change the character and mood of the hallway. It can be part of the decoration, the front door or a bright hanger, a ottoman for shoes or a basket for umbrellas.